Louisiana on 'high alert' as possible tornado kills 2

John Bacon , USA TODAY , WUSA7:32 PM. EDT April 02, 2017

A strong morning strom that moved throught Acadiana Sunday April 2, 2017 left a mother and and young daughter dead after their mobile outside of Breaux Bridge flipped. (Photo: Lucius A. Fontenot for The Daily)

Louisiana’s governor put the state on "high alert" as severe storms and possible tornadoes hit the area, killing two people in a small Louisiana town Sunday. The storms threatened to spread heavy rains, damaging winds and potential tornadoes across much of the Southeast deep into Monday, authorities said.

The St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana said a possible tornado slammed through Breaux Bridge, flipping a mobile home and killing a 38-year-old woman and her 3-year-old daughter. The storm roared near but did not damage several other homes and a high school, Maj. Ginny Higgins said.

"It was a tragedy that could have been even worse," Higgins told USA TODAY. "We are very much on edge. I hate the spring because we always have these awful storms."

Breaux Bridge, which promotes itself as the crawfish capital of the world, is a city of about 10,000 people 50 miles west of Baton Rouge. Lafayette, La., 10 miles southwest of Breaux Bridge, was hit with hail Sunday, and the weather service was predicting strong winds and up to 3 inches or more of rain into Monday.

Frank Strait, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, said the system rolled out of central Texas early Sunday, with a tornado touching down Center Point. The National Weather Service warned that severe thunderstorms "capable of strong tornadoes, extensive wind damage and very large hail" were forecast Sunday into Monday from eastern Texas to the Gulf Coast area. Heavy rainfall could also lead to flash flooding, the weather service said.

The severe weather threat will shift farther east on Monday, Strait said. Tornadoes and damaging winds are likely from southern Mississippi all the way into South Carolina. The greatest tornado risk was centered over southern Alabama. Damaging winds are anticipated throughout much of the region.